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Danger of forest fire at Hambach Castle: Fire brigade on alert!
Find out how firefighters fought a forest fire in Bad Dürkheim in August 2022 and what challenges they overcame.
Danger of forest fire at Hambach Castle: Fire brigade on alert!
In August three years ago, the forests burned beneath Hambach Castle and it was a difficult operation for the fire brigades. At that time, over 200 emergency services fought under difficult conditions against the flames that threatened the area around Neustadt. The rheinpfalz.de documents that this picturesque region not only impresses with its beauty, but also with the fire hazards that lurk here.
The Neustadt volunteer fire department was on duty together with fire departments from Bad Dürkheim and the Südliche Weinstrasse. The entire area of Neustadt is covered by 5,000 square meters of forest, which makes the local danger situation particularly sensitive. In mid-summer 2022, extreme dryness and heat contributed to the increase in fires, so the organizer of speyer-kurier.de emphasizes that the fire brigade was alerted to firefighting operations to combat an approximately 8 hectare forest fire.
Firefighting challenges
The evening of the operation was particularly intense, for which the firefighting module of the Germersheim district disaster relief train was alerted at 7:30 p.m. Despite the darkness and the steep terrain, around 60 firefighters had to carry out extinguishing work, search for embers and irrigate the affected areas. In these critical moments, operations managers such as fire and disaster control inspector Mike Schönlaub and deputy BKI Mario Schmid, who coordinated communication between the forces, were indispensable. District Administrator Dr. Fritz Brechtel praised the commitment of the volunteers and the well-structured disaster protection organization in the district.
The following day brought further operations, this time in Rheinzabern, where a KABS helicopter was used to fight fires for the first time. This new tool, fresh from a trial run, could be a valuable addition to existing firefighting tactics. Such innovative approaches are necessary because drought is increasingly leading to forest and wildfires, which poses challenges for firefighters.
The reality of wildfires in climate change
The situation corresponds to the observations of brennpunkt-wald.de, which points to the recurring major fires in Germany in recent years. 2022 was classified as a “record year” for wildfires, challenged by a hot and dry summer. The causes of fires are often human, be it arson or improper handling of fire. It has been reported in the media that 75% of forest fires are ground fires, which are usually easily controlled. But major fire disasters can occur quickly under certain conditions, especially in areas that are difficult to access.
As a comprehensive analysis also shows, the loss of forests places a significant burden on our ecosystem, the climate and the environment. A burned forest takes decades to centuries to regenerate. The growing challenges posed by climate change make the issue of forest fire prevention even more urgent, which is why projects such as the Forest Climate Fund and various research projects to improve firefighting are essential.
In summary, the combination of increased fire risk and the need to better prepare fire services for the new challenges must be urgently addressed in the coming years. This is the only way to ensure the safety of people and nature in these endangered areas.